New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-08
THE INQUEST AT TIFFIN.
TESTIMONY OF THE RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.

TIE ENGINEER OF THE FREIGHT HAD BEEN DRINK
ING-fIXING THE BLAME FOR THE DISASTER.
CLEVELAND, Jan. THE inquest into the causes OF
the Baltimore and Ohio wreck at Republic Ohio. was
begun at o'clock this afternoon at Tifjn dispatch to
The Ledder says that the City Hall, where the inquest
was held, was crowded The first witness examined was
l. f. Fletcher conductor Of the freight train. He said
I'd Killer was engineer OF the freight and W. j. Cullison
fireman We ran from Tifn to the Seneca siding about
three and onehalf miles east OF here and sderacked
for the Eastbound express After this train passed we
had forty-hye minutes In which to make the Republic
siding We left this place with 140 pounds OF steam.
After going two miles noticed that the train was slack
Ing went forward over tho cars eighteen in number,
to the engine to sec what wrong. found that the
steam had run down to forty pounds opened the door
OF the furnace and looked at the fire. then looked at my
watch and saw that had but four minutes until No @,
the eastbound express was due took redandwhite
lantern and ran ahead to flag her. got about one hun
dred yards in the and signaled to stop As the
express approached noticed that the engineer had
reversed his engine. In the meantime the freight had
come to stand and the engineer had shut of steam and
jumped of when the collision occurred The engineer had
been drinking. saw him take two drinks OF whiskey
Mt Bloomdae and two at Fostoria. While saw we had
but four minutes to make the siding at Republic, the
engineer did seem TO realize the danger ahead.
tried TO get passengers Of the burning One man
was jammed between the smoker and ladies' car tried
to get him out but the flames away and he had
TO burn heard shreks cries Of others in tho burn
ing cars"
W. j. Cullison, fireman the freight was next called
He said that he farm hand. AMI had been on the
road only three weeks. and knew anything about
the business before He said: I'VE had trouble In keep
ing up the fire. We had 40 pounds or
steam on when left the Seneca sid
ing. The train four five miles when the
steam was down to sixty pounds. We were then going
about three miles per hour The conductor came in and
looked at the fire and said all right When the con-
dncor went ahead to flag and the express coming he
yelled back for us Ia jump After the collision occurred
tr N Ia get persons out saw In there burning
but was so excited could tell but little about IT,
Charles snyder, OF Columbus, Ohio, was front brake
man on the freight He said 81 was in the cab or the
engine and noticed that they had but gauge OF water
TO ag but the conductor grabbed tho lantern and went
knew nothing about either the conductor or engineer
drinking. At the collision | saw a man hanging
about halfway ont OF the smoker who called
10 for Gods sake TO help him
out The supposed to be NJ H. Parks OF
Washington. heard the inside or the smoker
Thomas 4. Hcskctt. OF Wheeling. W. Va, conductor or
express three minutes late Republic. had about
sixty passengers fourteen fifteen In the smoker Of
that number escaped from the smoker two by beng
thrown ont ~ the top Of the uninurcd and three
somewhat Injured. think there were not more than ten
killed. have in possession cards thrown from the
smoker bearing the name OF VI. H. Parks. Washington
d. c. There writing the card which brother OF
the dead man recognized"
OF the number killed the Of seven are known
the freight and when the collision occurred he took Ian
tern and went to the about mile to nag any other
train that might be coming.
The Inquest will be resumed In the morning.